No stranger to tragedy

Elaine Briere

Elaine Brière is no stranger to tragedy. Her personal loss, the death of her mother when she was still a child, gives the French Canadian photographer and filmmaker insight into the tragedy of others, whether the plight of the Timorese, or the workers' lot.

The children grew up in a foster family. It was a strained relationship and Elaine became mother and father to her younger brother and sister.

Born in l946 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, Elaine went on to study at the University of British Columbia before becoming a staff photographer for the Yukon Daily News.

She has travelled and photographed extensively in Mexico and Southeast Asia. But her first experience of the world was Portuguese Timor in the 1970s where she was adopted by a village family. After her return to Canada, when news of the Indonesian invasion reached her, Elaine dedicated her life to their struggle.

Her photographs of village life in East Timor were used around the world to bring attention to the plight of this small nation.

Elaine is the recipient of several Canadian and international grants.

Her first film, Bitter Paradise: The Sell-out of East Timor, won best political documentary at HOT DOCS! in l997. She was approached by a former Canadian Seamen's Union member and veteran of the 1948 dispute to make Betrayed.